Vista desktop icons

[anotheoldgit]

Why are there always desktop icons amongst the folders of Vista?

I also have two on my desktop. What are they for,how do they get there and would it do harm to remove them please?

[camioneur]

I'd like to help but don't understand the first part of your question.
The second part isn't too difficult though. As a general rule an icon on the desktop is just a shortcut to something else. If you delete one and you find you needed it then it's simplicity itself to replace it. The same is normally true of folders on the desktop however...if the folder actually "lives" on the desktop and isn't just a shortcut then you ought to think about copying it and pasting it to somewhere more suitable for folder storage like "Documents" as deleting a folder that lives on the desktop will delete the folder all together. Don't store anything on the desktop, use "documents " instead.

Hope some of that made sense

[ACtheTROLL]

me no understand either.

depending on how the view is set folders will show their contents when open ... using icons.

if that's the case ... removing them will empty the folder.

any harm .... it depends which folder

[rojash]

Here's a wild guess. In your Folder settings you have unchecked Hide system files and checked Hide extensions for known file types.

Many folders contain a file called Desktop.ini which tells windows how to display the contents on the desktop. If you open Windows Explorer, click Tools/Folder Options, go to the View tab, scroll down and check Do not show hidden files and folders, and also check Hide protected operating system files, they will vanish and trouble you no more!

[anotheoldgit]

Sorry I did not make it too clear.

These Icons (labeled Desktop) when I move the mouse over them read:
Type: Configuration settings. Date modified : 01/02/2008 13.12. Size 312 btes.

When I double click on them a window opens up called desktop-notepad and reads: [ : shellclassinfo ] Folder Type = musicAlbum and then a load of gobbley gooch..

Hope this helps.

Thanks also rojash I will give your sulution a try when I get back to my computer that operates Vista.

[rojash]

In other words, my guess was right. Windows needs them. If you don't want to see them, then follow the instructions in my previous post.
They are desktop.ini files, but you see them as desktop because .ini is a known file type and your system is configured to hide extensions for know types.